The Idea of a 4-day Workweek is Gaining Momentum

Do you feel tired and burnt out? Does the thought of approaching Monday feel like an inevitable prison sentence? One could consider it to be laziness, but as the latest employment data in the U.S. shows – there could be more to it.

A record number of Americans have quit their jobs in November last year. Some call it the Great Resignation. Even though this has been felt the most in the U.S., employee shortages are noticeable around the world. 

Many workers have been feeling burnt out for quite a while and when you add the global pandemic on top of that, a call for a change is inevitable. This is where the idea of a 4-day workweek comes in. It’s currently in the early stages of trial with 30 companies in the U.K. signing-up for a six-month trial to test the effectiveness of it. Similar test runs are planned in the U.S. and other countries.

Companies participating in the four-day workweek trial will reduce work times of their employees to 32 hours a week for the upcoming six months, measuring productivity and employee well-being.

The employees of companies participating in this test will receive full salaries and benefits for 80% of their time, while maintaining 100% productivity. Some companies may require spreading the 32 hours over five days.

The trial is run by 4 Day Week Global, partnering with researchers at Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Boston College. Similar trials are planned to start in Ireland and the U.S. with Canada, New Zealand and Australia following.

What are the key takeaways? A four-day workweek is hypothesized to be a win-win solution for both the employee and the employer. More time for workers to pursue other interests and not burn themselves out on a weekly basis. Similar or increased productivity levels for businesses with lower employee turnover and possibly higher quality of work.

For now, all the possible benefits and downfalls are just hypothetical and we will have to wait and see what the studies and trials will show us. But it is very much possible that in the near future most of us will be enjoying a shorter workweek.